Means for forming concrete steps.



J. R. LONG.

MEANS FOR FORMING CONCRETE STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1911.

1,021,368, Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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J. R. LONG. MEANS FOR FORMING CONCRETE STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PUNOOIIAPM (0-, WASHINGTON, D- C.

J. R. LONG. MEANS FOR FORMING CONCRETE STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19,1911.

2 m m T I 6 fl MM M n R W n m 1a m n m a v UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. LONG, 0F AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO ALBERT ROREN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEANS FOR FORMING CONCRETE STEPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 19, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Serial No. 603,435.

'lo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. Lone, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Forming Concrete Steps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for forming concrete steps, and the invention consists in a former having several parts more or less adjustably and separably related and .adapted to serve as means for molding concrete steps successively one after another from the bottom upward to any desired or practical elevation, all substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of steps built by or according to my invention, the same being of solid concrete of suitable hardness. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the bottom step in forming process and the molding or forming parts for the face of the first riser or step and the side or skirting therefor in position and partially in section. As to these forming parts it should be understood that they impart shape and form to material rammed infrom behind the same and successively from step to step as the same are made complete one after the other. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation showing the forming mechanism in cross section in connection with the fourth step. It might be any other step as well. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the former with all the parts in working relation and partially sectioned at the left to disclose certain details. Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig. 4 on line 55, thereon, and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the face forming parts as a whole. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the so-called shrinking or skeleton middle gate or frame. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail of the bottom face plate for the vertical front face of the steps. Figs. 9 and 10 show details of the split blocks or pieces adapted to be used at the ends of the shrinking gate, Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 11 is a perspective detail of one of the skirt forming members.

From the foregoing views and description it will be seen that the invention consists essentially in a mold or former for the construction of outside steps to residences and the like and is shown herein as employed in connectlon with a terrace having only four steps from bottom to top. Of course one or more steps may be built in this way and of any length and rise. As to this and all the details shown it should be understood that so far as I know and believe the entire former is new in the art because I do not know that any one ever before made or used a former which can be taken from one job to another and be used over and over again to make steps of the same size or of different sizes. Concrete steps have of course been made, but not with permanent molds that I know of especially not with the form and style of mold herein shown. Heretofore a board or plain form was made for the complete flight of steps and the concrete poured in from the top. When the steps were completed the said former had to be thrown away.

In the process of building the steps I begin at the bottom and work upward step by step, constructing the steps successively one after the other including the skirting or sides thereof as it goes with each step. The said skirting is therefore formed in part only with each step and as the upward work rogresses.

Now, referring especially to the parts of the former, the so-oalled shrinking gate or open frame G is a skeleton member having about half the depth of the complete step as shown and also about as deep as the step front to rear as well as being nearly the length of the step as shown. The said frame also has straight edges at each side and is designed to occupy the level at its top of the next succeeding step, so that when a leveling device or stroke-off is drawn across the upper edges of the frame and the freshly made step, the said step is made even and smooth and perfectly horizontal with the top of said frame. However, the frame or gate G does not extend entirely across from side to side of the stop because there must be shrinkage or contracting of the structure to remove the parts after a section or portion of the complete step has been formed, and this is effected through the connections at the ends of said frame. These parts furthermore are fashioned to give shape to the ends of the step and particularly the angles at the ends. As to these angles two separate end parts enter into the same comprising the two so-called split or separate end blocks or pieces B and B. These 'so-called blocks are operatively related to the two face or facing plates or pieces F and F, Figs. 9 and 10, and positioned one on top of or over the other, the two together having the depth of a step, Fig. 5, and in Working efiect and value are the same as if they were in one piece of casting. In their order the block B comes over or above block B, and they have corresponding outer straight smooth faces for the sides of the steps and rounded rear or corner portions 6 and b respectively for the rounded corners or angles of the steps. 15 Corresponding with the rear portions 79 and Z) of said blocks or pieces B and B are the face or facing molds or pieces F and F. These pieces also come one directly over and upon the other and are positioned and used as if they were one piece and together give shape to the vertical front face of the step and determine its total depth. These pieces also are jointly supported on or from the gate frame Gr, facing piece F being fastened directly to the inner edge of said frame by screws and the plate F by screws through vertical holes 6 in said parts, and at their ends said plates are made to abut and match exactly against the corresponding edges of 30 the end blocks B and B, Figs. 4 and 5.

Said end blocks or pieces also are bolted together through holes 7, Figs. 9 and 10, and said end blocks are tied or anchored at their matching edges with cross pieces F and F by turnbuckle and rod connections J having anchoring hooks engaging over pins or studs 8 on said end pieces B. The said turnbuckle section or rods are supported in the cross webs of gate G and remain permanently therein. The shape of parts B and B also is material, particularly in their side forming portions, the side 6 running down to a point from rear to front in substantially wedge shape while the part B has a sled runner form of extension 12 at its front. These points or ends project forward substantially the same distance and the skirt forming members S come flush with the sides of said parts B and B and are of a length therewith, substantially. The said skirt forms S are substantially trough shaped, having open ends and sides at right angles to their flat bottom through which said members are held in working position. 55 Thus, the outer side 10 is engaged by clamps C with the skirt board E and to the upper and inner portion of the box B by screw or bolt 14. The said skirt members S also have longitudinal slots in their inner flanges 60 or sides 12 through which bolts 14 are engaged and by which the said members may be adjusted or set to one inclination or another according to the pitch wanted for the sides or skirting of the steps. At its lower 5 end a bolt or projection 16 extends inward from said skirt former S and comes just beneath the edge of point 6 of lower box piece B and prevents the said part S from being forced up beyond its proper working elevation when the tamping of concrete beneath the same from the rear occurs. As'the work progresses the lower end of said skirt former rests flat on the upper portion of the concrete skirting formed in the last preceding molding operation and the pin or projection 16 prevents it from being lifted up above this proper working level.

Screws 16 at the front and ends of gate G engage against flanges 17 on the top of end blocks B and serve to set and hold said parts in right working relations, said end blocks otherwise being firmly engaged and held against the ends of frame G by the tie rods or buckle J. But when withdrawn the said screws serve also to release the said 5 side parts and all said parts can then be separately removed.

From the foregoing it will be observed that there are many details of construction to be provided in order to get the entire former shaped and connected as-shown for the purposes set forth, and either these exact details or their equivalents are necessary.

In the present case I show an earth foundation or base to which the steps are built, and as such the said foundation is compacted and slanted according to the inclination of the steps, but in other cases a plank or equivalent base may be provided, much depending on the conditions of the place where the steps are to be made. After the steps have seasoned the said foundations may be removed and the steps will stand of their own strength, but they may be reinforced if preferred, as is now common in concrete structural work.

Of course in this kind of work the consistency of the concrete is important, and it must be fairly thick and adapted to pack by tamping. Hence no gravel can be used and being thick it soon hardens, thus enabling me to work with the same former from step to step. In fact I can remove the former as each step is completed and pass on to make the next step. The former as a whole is a complete article of manufacture and sale.

What I claim is:

1. A former for concrete steps comprising a skeleton middle frame, two different strips fixed lengthwise on the rear of said frame one above the other, a pair of blocks ateach end of said' frame in planes corresponding substantially to said facing strips, and anchoring mechanism for separably connecting said blocks to said frame.

2. A former for concrete steps comprising a frame of substantially rectangular shape having parallel front and rearportions and adapted to be supported on the level of the top of the step being formed, a member affixed to the rear of said frame the full length thereof and a second member affixed to the bottom and rear' of said frame extending the full length thereof, and means detachably fixing said members on said frame, in combination with blocks removably secured to the ends of said frame.

3. In a form for making concrete steps, skirting boards set to fix the outside of the skirting of the steps, in combination with a top former for the skirting secured to each of said boards, and intermediate means connecting said parts comprising a central frame and blocks removably connected With the ends of said frame and with said top formers.

4. The combination of the middle skeleton frame, a pair of blocks secured one upon 20 the other and anchored to the ends of said frame, in combination with a former fixed to the outside of each of the upper of said blocks, boards disposed edgewise at the outside of said formers and clamps locking said 25 boards and formers together.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

